Politics

The Osun Central APC Senatorial Primary: Democracy, Not Victimhood

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on May 23rd, 2026.

*The Osun Central APC Senatorial Primary: Democracy, Not Victimhood*

*By Tolu Babawale*

The recent commentary published by *Ripples Nigeria*, titled *Fadeyi’s Treatment in Oyetola-Bashiru Supremacy Battle” and authored by Timothy Enitan-Matthews, presents a narrative rich in insinuation yet strikingly deficient in facts.

By portraying Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi’s defeat in the Osun Central Senatorial primary election as the product of factional conspiracy and political victimisation, the report overlooks the fundamental realities of grassroots politics in Osun State.

To characterise a competitive democratic process as an act of persecution is to misunderstand the very essence of party primaries. An election is not a coronation; it is a democratic exercise through which delegates freely choose the candidate they believe best represents their interests and aspirations. To imply that an electoral defeat automatically signifies injustice sets a dangerous precedent – one that suggests a primary election is only legitimate when a particular, pre-determined candidate emerges victorious.

The reality of Senator Fadeyi’s experience within the All Progressives Congress (APC), and indeed his eventual defeat, is more accurately explained by the basic mechanics of political integration and grassroots engagement. While he was welcomed into the party following his defection, political success demands far more than mere admission into a political fold. It requires sustained commitment to party structures, long-term relationship-building, and genuine immersion in grassroots politics.

Feedback from political stakeholders across the ten local government areas of Osun Central indicates that Senator Fadeyi’s campaign strategy may have been fundamentally misaligned with the prevailing political culture of the state.

Rather than embracing the painstaking and sustained mobilisation necessary to cultivate trust among local delegates, his political outreach was reportedly perceived as transactional. Relying on the assumption that federal influence could compensate for insufficient grassroots connectivity is a strategic miscalculation in a political environment where legitimacy is earned through sustained local engagement, not externally conferred.

In contrast, the emergence of Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (KRAD), SAN, was not the product of imposition, but the outcome of a clear preference expressed by party delegates for a long-standing progressive loyalist. Adegoke’s victory reflects not only his established credentials in legal advocacy but also decades of visible commitment to progressive politics and active party mobilisation.

His candidacy presents the APC with a significant electoral advantage, particularly in Osogbo – a politically strategic hub whose importance remains central to the party’s future electoral prospects within the senatorial district.

Attempts to construct a narrative of an alleged “supremacy battle” between prominent political figures such as former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, serve only to sensationalise what was, in reality, a straightforward democratic exercise.

Equally unconvincing is the suggestion that Adegoke’s nomination was orchestrated to politically diminish Basiru on account of shared geographical origins. Such an argument appears forced and overlooks the distinct political trajectories, leadership styles, and constituencies of influence cultivated by both men over the years.

As the APC in Osun State moves forward, the imperative of post-primary reconciliation cannot be overstated. However, genuine reconciliation must be anchored in honesty, mutual respect, and acceptance of democratic outcomes – not on narratives of manufactured victimhood or attempts to delegitimise a transparent electoral process.

The delegates spoke, and their verdict reflected what they considered to be the party’s broader long-term ideological identity, political stability, and electoral strength.

Disappointment is an inevitable feature of competitive politics, but it must never be mistaken for injustice.

*Tolu Babawale, a political scientist and youth leader, writes from Iba, Ifesayo Local Government Area of Osun State.*